The Thunder's Roar
by Karasu Tenka
Summary: When Lei Shen the Thunder King was slain, Azeroth breathed a sigh of relief at the passing of the tyrant. But the power of the Thunder King is as eternal as the being it was stolen from. This is the tale of the birth and awakening of a New King. One who may yet prove to be the unexpected salvation and redemption of the ancient Mogu.
1. Chapter 1

"...Perhaps there is still hope." The massive being spoke, the haze of madness and hatred had finally been lifted from his eyes. Millennia he had been chained in darkness, pain and anger had overcome him, and he had vowed to wreak bloody vengeance upon the world that had betrayed him. But now, he had been defeated at the hands of a band of mortals, little more than children in the being's eyes, and yet, together they wielded a strength greater even than that of his captor. He continued speaking, "But, there is a yawning chasm of darkness beneath you mortals, vast, endless, and all consuming. I do not believe that you can correct this doomed course. But... you have earned the right to try. Farewell."

With that the once mighty Watcher Ra summoned what remained of his power, and in a flash of lighting, he vanished. The Heroes of Azeroth having once more saved the world form destruction, returned to their adventures and their constant wars with one another. Ra however, was direct in his course. He travelled to the Pinnacle of Storms, where his captor Lei Shen had stood triumphant not long ago.

The Titanic Watcher stood over the corpse of his ancient jailer, gazing down at what had once been arguably the most powerful being in the mortal world. "Look at us..." He said with a derisive chuckle. It sounded almost alien in his throat, which had for so long uttered only screams of pain. "We've both been broken upon the ages like stone under a hammer. Our time is done... but our power," Raising a hand, he drew forth a crackling ball of lightning, "The world still needs our might if it hopes to weather the coming storm of darkness."

Closing his eyes, the Watcher sat in thought for several days, Plotting how best he could aid the mortals who had relit the fires of hope within him. As he thought, he also renewed his strength, resting peacefully for the first time in thousands of years. At last, he spoke again. "Perhaps, as with our defeat, the mortals hold the answer to this as well..."

Nodding to himself, he rose once more, placing a hand on the dead forehead of Lei Shen, he concentrated for a few moments. Feeling the vestiges of power stir within the corpse, he drew them forth into a small bead that he held gently in his hand, before drawing his fingers down across the ancient dead eyes. "Rest now child. I failed you and your people when I allowed the Old Gods to taint you. I failed you again when you defeated me. I will not fail again." With this proclamation ringing through the now empty halls of the Throne of Thunder, Ra-Den, ancient master of the Mogu race stepped forward, summoned his power over the storm and wind, and in a flash of lightning, was gone once more.

And the world continued on it's course. Not long passed before Garrosh Hellscream made his play for absolute power and was in turn defeated. And while the wars of Azeroth waged unending, a strange cloaked traveller wandered the world. No one could say for sure who, or even what the traveller was, all that they knew was that it wandered to all corners of Azeroth, seeking... something.

All the while, the world continued to turn.

Joseph Rebain looked up into sky and wiped his brow. It was a surprisingly quiet day in the Kraserang Wilds, it almost felt as though the animals in the under-brush were being quieted by something. Rolling his muscled shoulders he turned once more to the log he had been cutting, lifting his axe and bringing it down in an arcing cut that split the log the rest of the way through.

"Good. That at least makes one of you workers who can fill his quota for a day." Foreman Stills said, walking up with his customary sneer and clipboard. "Maybe you'd like to show some of your fellows how it's done eh? After all, you peasants need all the help you can get."

Rebain bit back a retort and simply nodded. He hated Stills, but he knew he couldn't do anything to him. And Stills knew it to. After all, the honourable Foreman was the son of some wealthy political powerhouse back in Stormwind, and was apparently heir to the fortune his family had saved up over the years. "Of course Foreman. I'll help the boys out as much as they need. However, if it's all right with you, that tree was very large. And I've been at it all morning. I'm going to take a few minutes to eat and catch my breath." With that, he turned on his heel and made his way over to where he'd stashed his food for today.

As he walked, he could feel Sills' glare burning into the back of his head. He smiled though, knowing the Foreman wouldn't do anything. He was the best worker Stills had, and they both knew it, and his claims of being hard at work all morning had been true. After all, Stills kept a hawks eye on his workers, and a well oiled whip at his hip, lest they be inclined to take a break before their allotted time.

Sitting down with a grateful sigh, Joseph looked once more to the sky, as his hands almost mechanically pulled out his lunchbox and retrieved the sandwich within. The air here in Pandaria always felt so much cleaner than it did back home. As he munched thoughtfully on his meagre lunch, he watched the clouds drift lazily by overhead.

"Ah, you are here again today?" Rebain looked over his shoulder at the approaching voice. Walking out of the under-brush was Xian Bao, a Pandaren Hunter who lived in the woods nearby. "I must say," The hunter said in his thick accent, "For a human, you have a very Pandaren way of enjoying life."

Joseph laughed, tossing an apple from his lunchbox towards his visitor. "Your homeland brings out the lounger in me. It's so peaceful here now that the Horde's stopped dropping cannonballs on our heads, and this place is beautiful."

Catching the apple and taking a bite out of it, Bao nodded. "Indeed, but your 'Alliance' is always in such a rush to get everywhere, they rarely ever seem to notice beauty. The same can be said for the 'Horde'." He sat down beside the young human, pulling a small wrapped bundle from his pack and handing it to Rebain. "Just one of many reasons I never sided with either of you while you were waging your foolish war on our soil."

Rebain winced slightly as he unwrapped the bundle, his mouth already beginning to drool at the smell of the cooked meat within. "I really wish that our leaders would just get over themselves." He sighed, "This world is more than large enough for all of us." He smiled and shook his head, "My father must be rolling in his grave to hear me saying things like that."

"Oh? You never speak of your family. Why bring them up now?"

"Oh, there's not much to tell. My father died fighting Orcs in the Second War. My mum made me swear to never join the army. She didn't want me to end up like the old man. Not much else to us."

Bao nodded, his mouth curling into a smile, "A humble family is nothing to be ashamed of my friend. After all, it is because of humble men and women like you and your family that kings and emperors can call themselves thus."

"Rebain! Get your lazy ass back to work!" Foreman Stills' voice cut harshly across the clearing.

Joseph winced, glancing up at the sky once more, before wrapping the meat back up and handing it to Bao. The Pandaren however shook his head and smiled, "Keep it. It will keep for a few days more, and should keep you strong enough to work for a time."

"Thanks Bao. You're a good friend." Rebain smiled, before setting his lunchbox back in it's hiding spot, and rising to make his way back towards the fuming Foreman. Taking up his wood axe, he then found his way to a group of other workers, and set to work on the massive tree they were struggling with.

Several hours later, the workers of Lion's Landing trudged their way up the hill towards the fortress that served as both their home, and the primary staging ground for Alliance forces in Pandaria. The sun was low in the sky, just about to begin setting, and the sky burned a beautiful fiery red. Most of the men were almost dead on their feet tired, and very few of them spoke more than a few words.

Trailing at the back of the group, Joseph Rebain paused, turning to gaze back at the ocean. The waves crashed along the beach, glinting in the early evening light. This life isn't perfect... He thought, But I don't think I'd trade it for anything.

Then the thunder rumbled across the Wilds, and everything went still.

Turning his gaze to the north, Rebain's eyes widened in shock. The sky that had been so clear only moments before, was suddenly shrouded in a massive, thick black thunder-head cloud. It seemed to extend from one end of the horizon to the other. For some reason, the sight filled the young human with a primal terror, but he found himself unable to move. As if something had rooted him in place.

The thunder rumbled again.

Rebain suddenly felt as though something was watching him. Tearing his gaze away from the cloud, he looked around him. Seeing that his fellow workers were similarly frozen in awe and fear of the massive force of nature, he returned his gaze to the north, but paused. A small flicker caught his eye, looking down at the stones beneath his feet, he saw tiny sparks of electricity rolling across them in a wild, chaotic dance.

His eyes widened once again, suddenly understanding what was about to happen. "Get back!" He turned and shouted to the other workers, fear and adrenelline freeing him from his paralysis. Rushing forward, he began pushing men up the hill towards the fort. "Go!" He shouted, "Go! It's not safe here!"

Then the thunder rumbled again.

Only this time, there was something else in it. Almost like a voice, deep, and impossibly ancient. Rebain turned, just in time to see the flash.

His whole world seemed to stop. He saw the workers, running towards the fort, shocked into motion by his shouting. He saw the waves, frozen mid crash as time froze. And he saw the lightning bolt, hurtling through the air towards him. He knew he couldn't escape it, not when his body, usually so strong and fast from years of hard work, now betrayed him and locked itself in shock and fear. And so, Joseph Rebain simply closed his eyes, expecting to see his life flash before them. Instead, he saw... something... a force, ancient beyond reckoning gazing down at him with curiosity.

The bolt struck with the force of the world. Hurtling Rebain through the air to land in a heap several yards away. Several workers shouted, rushing towards him. And in the distance, the massive cloud that had moments ago dominated the entire sky, vanished without a trace.

And the thunder rumbled once again.

A world away, something awoke, screaming in pain and horror. It had never felt such a sensation as it had just been awoken by, and that terrified it more than anything it had ever believed possible.

As his servants rushed into the room, weapons drawn, ready to defend their master, Wrathion the Black Prince clutched at his chest, breathing heavily. "Wh...What was that?" He gasped.

Elsewhere upon Pandaria, another being stirred. Roused by a whisper upon the threads of fate, that lesser beings called Magic. Rising into a cross legged seated position, the large creature reached into a small pouch and drew forth several runestones, whispered ancient words of power into them, and cast them onto the floor before it.

General Xiao Liu blinked in surprise as the runes aligned themselves. "That should not be possible... He is dead..." Rising from his seat, he left the runes where they lay, and stepped into the chamber where his troops slumbered. "Awaken my brothers. Your General calls upon you now."

The torches burst to life at a mere flick of his will, and the soldiers within the chamber were swiftly on their feet, ready to enact the will of their lord.

"The Fate of the world seems to have been changed this night." Liu spoke, his gaze falling on each of his soldiers in turn. "We leave at once. To the south. We shall know what we seek by the mark of the Emperors upon it. Regardless what form it takes, we shall claim it. And it shall lead us into a new Golden Age."

"Yes my lord." The voices of his soldiers echoed through the chamber that had sheltered them for the last several months. Nodding in satisfaction, Xiao Liu, one of the last Generals of the Thunder King gestured forth, and lead his Mogu towards the jungles of the Krasarang Wilds.


	2. Chapter 2

Voices drifted through his mind, they seemed to be arguing... _I am telling you, it's impossible! No one should be able to survive something like that! _One said.

_And I am telling you, this young man just did! See for yourself. He doesn't have a scratch on him!_

_What? How...?_

_I'm not sure... what could we find on his family?_

_Nothing of note. A seamstress mother, and a father who died on the front lines of the Second War._

_Hmm... I'll keep an eye on him.._.

Darkness pressed in around him, comforting him and beckoning him to sleep once more. But something else pushed the comfort back. A single thought pierced through him, along with a vision of lightning. _I should be dead!_

Joseph Rebain awoke, his scream echoing through the small room, and out across Lion's Landing. As he threw himself forward, small, strong, gentle hands caught his shoulders, pushing him back.

"Be calm young one." A soft musical voice spoke to his side, "You are safe."

Slowly his vision came back into focus. Looking around, he found himself in the infirmary of Lion's Landing, with lady Mishka the medic standing over him. Then his memory flooded back to him, and his hands flew to his chest. However, he found nothing. No scars, no wounds, nothing to suggest what had happened to him.

"Wh..." He began to speak, but came up short, instead a choking cough crackled from him. His throat was bone dry. Seeing this, Mishka reached to the table beside his small cot and grabbed a small mug of water.

"Here, drink this."

The young human grabbed the mug, and almost desperately drank. After a few more coughs, he attempted to speak again. "Wh...what happened to me? How am I not dead?" His voice croaked out, still rough from lack of use.

"You remember?" The Draenei blinked in minor surprise. At Rebain's nod, she sat down in the chair beside his cot with a sigh. "Honestly, I'm not sure. No one is. By all accounts there was only one lightning strike, and if the Shaman I spoke to is to be believed, it was powerful enough to split a warship in two. And yet... there's nothing wrong with you. In fact, you seem to be in peak physical health."

Glancing down at his unscathed chest once more, another though suddenly struck him, "The others? There were several other workers near me. Are they all right?"

Mishka nodded, smiling. "Yes, no one else was hurt. By all the accounts, it seems that you saved them." As Joseph let out a small sigh of relief, the medic chuckled lightly. "You are a strange young man. You should be dead by all accounts, and yet your primary concern is whether your fellow workers are safe?"

Rebain smiled, "The work team is like an extended family. We watch out for each other. After all," His gaze dropped, "Hardly anyone else seems to. All you adventurers and soldiers are too busy with the latest monster, or ruin, or war. We workers have to watch out for ourselves."

Mishka winced, "I'm sorry, I never looked at it that way."

Rebain looked up once again, his smile returned. "It's ok. The guys are all safe, so there's no harm done." He lay back in the cot once more, wrapping his hands around behind his head. "It's alright if I spend the rest of the night in hear right?"

The medic smiled. "Of cou..." She began, but was suddenly cut off by the door slamming open.

"Rebain!" Foreman Stills' harsh voice cut across the infirmary. "If you're healthy enough to scream like that, then you'd better be ready to get your lazy ass back to work!" The noble-born Foreman stomped across the room towards the cot.

"See what I mean?" Rebain muttered under his breath. Raising his voice and straining to sound pleasant, he continued, "Ah, Foreman Stills... I was wondering how long it would take you to stomp up here."

"Don't you dare try to give me lip Rebain. Not after the stunt you pulled."

"Oh forgive me, I had no idea that getting struck by lightning counted as a stunt these days. After all, it's only a fucking natural phenominon that I have no control over."

"Why you little..."

"Foreman Stills." Mishka's voice cut the Foreman's reply off sharply. "I must insist that you leave. Now. My patient has had a trying experience, and has only just now regained consciousness."

Stills looked like he had been slapped. Blinking in surprise, as if he was just now noticing that the Draenei was present, he began stammering. "Ah, um... Miss Mishka, you see... I was just..."

"I know full well what you were just trying to do. And I will not have any more of it in my infirmary. Now, out!" Her tone brooked no argument, and something in her eyes caused all the colour to drain from the nobleman's face.

Recovering his composure after several seconds, Stills glanced down at Rebain. "I expect to see you back on the work teams as soon as you're able Rebain." Turning on his heel, Stills made his way out of the infirmary, perhaps a little more swiftly than he normally would have.

Rebain managed to keep a strait face for only a few seconds more. Bursting out laughing, he almost choked. "Oh my god... that was perfect." Sighing with more laughter, he laied back in the bed once more. "Remind me to never get on your bad side Mam. I've never seen Stills so close to shitting himself before."

Sitting back down in her chair, Mishka let out a huffing breath. "Honestly, the nerve of that boorish... I had heard rumours that he was an insufferable ass, but no one ever really seemed to complain. But really... of all the nerve, he comes storming into my infirmary shouting orders like he owns everything in sight. How can you stand to work for someone so... repulsive?"

Still chuckling, Rebain shook his head. "It's not a matter of 'standing' him. His precious daddy is some kind of big-wig back in Stormwind. Knows all the right people to complain to, and all the right pockets to line. So, any complaints aimed at the inoble/i Stills family, get shut down right quick." He shrugged, "So we learn to live with it. That's the ugly truth of being from a family of 'low birth'" He rolled over, closing his eyes, "Bastard's right though, it's late, and I should probably get back out there tomorrow. He's probably been taking it out on my friends."

Mishka looked as if she was about to say something, then stopped, nodded, and rose to leave. As she reached the door, she paused. "Wait... how did you know it was night?" She asked, looking over at the boarded closed window.

Rebain's eyes snapped open at that. Sitting up, he looked over at the window as well, a worried expression on his face. "I... I don't know..." He shook his head.

Mishka stepped out into the hall, her expression mirroring that of her patient.

Rebain found himself unable to sleep that night. Too many questions plaguing his mind.

The oddities continued to grow in number over the next several days. He quickly discovered that regardless of how little he slept at night, he never seemed to grow tired. His thoughts began to quicken. Even his strength, while he had certainly been a strong man before, now, he felt as though he could rip through steel with his bare hands.

A week after he had first woken up, he returned to the work crews. However, it became quickly clear that his absence had been felt sorely. The men looked practically broken. "What the hell happened to you guys?"

"Stills has been working us with almost no break, every day." Said one of the men, "He says it's to 'boost production quotas', but we all know it's because he's trying to get back at you for talking back to him."

Rebain's eyes narrowed in anger. "I'm going to..."

"Ah, Rebain. So good to have you back." Rebain looked up to see Stills approaching from the fort, a cruel grin on his face. "I hope you had a wonderful rest. After all, these poor peasants seem to be tired, they'll need your help to keep up with our quota this week. Now all of you, get to work." With his final word, Stills unhooked his whip from its place on his belt.

However, Rebain didn't move. "This is just pathetic Stills. You are really so petty that you'd take your frustrations with me out on my friends?"

Stills' smile widened even further. "Oh how arrogant. You seem to be under the impression that you are special, just because you were hit by lightning. Well let me tell you something," He raised his whip, preparing to strike, "You are no more 'special' than any other low born insect. Now, get. To. Work." The whip cracked out, faster than the eye could follow.

Rebain's hand moved seemingly on it's own, snapping up and forward. Everyone present, himself included, blinked in surprise as his grip closed around the lash, stopping it. Recovering from the shock of his own sudden movement, Rebain pulled, hard.

Stills stumbled forward, pulled off balance from the unexpected turn of events. However, he was brought up short by Rebain's fist colliding with his stomach. The Foreman collapsed in a gasping heap at the worker's feet.

Joseph turned to the closest worker, "Max, can you run up to the fort and find Dr Mishka? Tell her that I sent you, and what Stills has been up to this past week. She can at least help the rest of the boys."

Max nodded, still shocked by what had just happened. "Wh...What about you?"

"I'm going to have a word with our _honourable_ Foreman." Something in his gaze seemed to scare the other workers. They all backed away from him. Rebain turned, and used his foot to flip Stills onto his back. "Get up Stills, I'm not done with you."

"How dare you!" The nobleman spat, struggling to get up. "I'll see you hanged for that you worthless..." He never managed to finish his threat, as Rebain's fist jabbed forward, knocking his head backwards, a spray of blood erupting from his nose.

"It'll be worth it to teach you some fucking humility Stills. I am done letting you lord your father's money and influence over us like some kind of executioner's axe. Now get up, and prove that you aren't all talk."

Stills lunged forward, grabbing for his fallen whip and coming up in a crouch. With a roar of fury, he snapped the whip out towards Rebain's feet. However, as the strike came close, there suddenly was nothing to close around. Stills blinked in surprise as Rebain leapt towards him, his shock wore off at about the same moment the large worker collided with him.

Rebain's anger had reached a boiling point, grabbing Stills by the front of his shirt, he hauled the nobleman up and clear off the ground. Stills screamed in fear as he dangled helplessly in the large man's grasp. "Now then Stills, I think it's time that you learn what it feels like to be hit by that damned whip of yours. But since I don't want to even touch that thing after your slimy hands were on it, this will have to do." Clenching his fist, Rebain lashed out with a brutal punch.

The blow connected with the Foreman's chest with enough force to literally rip him out of Rebain's grip. Stills' body sailed through the air as if shot from a cannon, coming to a stop only when it collided with a tree several yards away before crumpling into a motionless pile. Joseph blinked in shock, looking down at his hands, "I... what did I... how...?"

As he was staring in shocked horror at what he'd done, a group of soldiers arrived from the fort, swords drawn, Mishka was among them. Everyone was silent for several seconds, before a hacking cough sounded from Stills' body. One of the soldiers rushed over to the Foreman to check him, after several seconds he returned and nodded to Mishka, "Doctor, the Foreman needs immediate medical attention, he looks pretty bad." He then turned to Rebain. "I heard that Stills was abusing his workers, so I can't say that I'm surprised by this. But I have to arrest you. You did just assault a nobleman after all. I'm sorry."

There were several shouts of protest from the other workers. One even stooped to pick up a rock, however, they were all cut short by a gesture from Rebain, who nodded. "I understand Captain. Make sure that my friends get treated as well, and I'll come quietly. Stills was working them to death, they need rest and a decent meal or two before they'll be ready to work again."

The captain sheathed his sword and nodded, "I'll see to it that they're treated right. And thanks. I saw what you just did to Stills, I don't think trying to take you in by force would have been fun." Turning, he shouted orders to his men, ordering several of them to get food for the workers, and assigning an escort detail to take Rebain back to Lion's Landing. Turning back to Rebain, he shrugged, pulling out a set of manacles. "Sorry, but I have to do this." He said, closing the cuffs around Rebain's wrists.

The prisoner only nodded, and began walking towards the fort, followed by the cries of protest from his friends.

Joseph was locked up in the barracks prison. After the guards escorting him had left, he sat down on the small cot, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his thoughts. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. He'd always been fast, but nowhere near fast enough to catch a whip mid-strike. He'd always been strong, it came with the work he did, but he had never been strong enough to do what he'd just done to Stills. "What the hell is happening to me?" He asked quietly after a long while.

"It would seem, that the lightning actually did do something, wouldn't it?" Looking up, he saw Mishka step into view. "Stills is alive, but I do not believe he will be waking any time soon."

"What do you mean 'The lightning did this'?" Rebain asked, rising and stepping towards the cell door.

Mishka shrugged, "It is the only explanation that makes any logical sense. Humans do not just randomly grow stronger and faster at the rate which you have. Especially not humans who have been in an infirmary for a week." The Draenei smiled, "I spoke to several of your work crew friends, and they all vouch that Stills struck first, you should be released within a day or so. After that, I want you to report to the infirmary, I intend to find out just what that lightning strike actually did to you."

Joseph sighed, before nodding. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Good," Mishka said, turning and walking back out of the dungeon. "Now get some rest, we have a lot of work to do once you're free."

A short ways away from Lion's Landing, General Xiao Liu sat on a felled tree, concealed from the Alliance fortifications by the dense jungle. Looking up at the sound of an approaching being, the General's hand moved smoothly to the hilt of his sword, but stopped as Liang, the scout he'd sent out that morning came into view. "You made too much noise Liang. Any enemy within a mile could have detected you." He murmured.

"Apologies my lord, however, I bring news that warrants my hasty mistake." The scout pulled a small cloth map of the area from his belt pouch. "Your visions were correct. The lesser beings calling themselves 'The Alliance' have what we seek. Although I doubt any of them realize it's value yet, they likely will discover it soon." He indicated on the map where the fort sat, "It seems that the mark of the Emperors has chosen one of the humans as it's bearer."

"You are certain of this?" Asked Xiao Liu, "Why would the glory of the Emperors degrade itself by going anywhere near such a lesser being?"

"I was within a spear's cast of the bearer, not two hours ago. However, there were a great many soldiers around it, so I failed to capture it. But I assure you, there is no mistake. It... The human, carries the Mark."

Xiao Liu rose, nodding. "Well done Liang. Inform the others, we move out at dusk. I want this to be as fast and as quiet as possible."

"As you command." The scout saluted, before melding back into the foliage as if he'd never existed.

Xiao Liu turned toward the human fortress, his gaze burning with purpose. "Soon, my Emperor. Soon."

Rebain's eyes snapped open. Something was wrong, he could tell. Rolling off his cot, he crept to the door of his cell, and looked out into the shadow filled hallway. "Hey, guard? Mishka? Who's there?"

A few moments later, the sounds of clashing steel echoed down the hallway. Suddenly shouts of alarm rose up all across the fort and sounds of battle quickly followed.

As he listened, trying to figure out what was happening, a screeching sound tore through his concentration. Turning, he gasped in shock as a massive creature, seemingly carved from stone, physically tore its way through the wall to his cell. He'd never seen anything like it, it stood easily seven feet tall, with legs that seemed to bend backwards at the knee like that of a Draenei. It's eyes burned with an unspoken hatred as it gazed down at him, and in its hand, it held a massive spear.

The creature stepped forward, it's gaze never once wavering from him. "You are the Bearer?" It spat in a heavy voice, dripping with contempt. "This must be a joke."

Rebain set his feet, ready to go down fighting if that was what it took. "I have no idea what you're talking about monster. But you're attacking my home, that means you need to be taken down in my books."

The creature paused, a look of surprise crossing it's face. "You understand my words? Even more... you reply in kind."

"What's so surprising about me talking?" Rebain bent his knees, getting ready to lunge.

"It is surprising, when a human answers in flawless Mogu without even realising." That stopped Rebain in his tracks. The creature continued, "Hmm... Perhaps the stones told more truth than I first believed."

Joseph's mind reeled. He was speaking a language he'd never even heard of before, and apperanly, speaking it perfectly. That shouldn't have been possible. And yet... "What do you want?" He asked, cautiously.

The creature eyed him for a second, before it's hands seemed to blur with speed. The butt of the massive spear collided with the side of Rebain's head with enough force to knock him across the room. As his vision blurred and began to darken, the creature re-entered his field of view and knelt before him. "I am here for you." It said. Then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm getting really tired of getting knocked out all the time..." Joseph Rebain groaned, slowly coming to. As his awareness of his surroundings slowly swam into focus, the first thing he noticed was that he couldn't move. Opening his eyes slightly, he found himself suspended in the air, his arms spread to the sides, interestingly, there didn't seem to be anything holding them in place. His shirt had been removed, and a pair of large shackles were fastened around his wrists, beyond that, and the massive headache however, at least as far as he could tell, he was perfectly fine.

"So, you awaken at last..." Looking up, Rebain found himself locking eyes with the same creature that had attacked Lion's Landing. It no longer wore it's battle armour, and it's spear was leaning against the back wall of the chamber that they occupied, but it was defiantly the same one.

"You!" Anger flooded through him as his memory returned. "You attacked my home!" He began struggling, attempting to get down, and away from whatever force held him up, but whatever it was, it held fast. "You had better hope I never get down from here."

"Oh spare me." The creature rolled it's eyes as it rose from it's seat, "You have as much chance of escaping the magic in those bindings as you do breathing fire. The only reason I have kept you alive this long is because you have something I need. Something that belongs to my people."

Rebain stopped struggling for a moment, "Me? But I'm just a worker, I cut trees for a living. What the hell could I have that a monster like you could possibly want?"

"This." The creature drew a clawed finger across his chest. As the skin was pressed down, a strange pattern emerged, almost like a tattoo. It appeared to be a pair of lightning bolts reaching from his shoulders towards his stomach, while another lightning blot extended down each of his arms and disappeared under the shackles. "You have stolen the Mark of the Emperor, something that should no longer exist! And I want to know how. And I want it back!" It's hand suddenly flashed up and to the side, colliding with his face in a massive backhaded slap.

"I-I've never... seen that before in my life you bastard!" Rebain said as he spat blood from his mouth. "Even if I had, why the hell would I do shit for you?"

"You overestimate your worth in what is to come." The smile that crossed the creature's lips was enough to make Rebain's blood run cold. It turned, walked back to where it had been sitting and began to chant. Instantly, wisps of dark energy began to curl around it's hands, and with a final word of power, it thrust them forward.

The pain was excruciating, worse than anything Rebain had ever felt. It felt like the sorcerer was trying to rip his flesh from his bones while he still breathed. His back arched to an almost unnatural degree, his mouth opened in a scream, but the pain was such that he couldn't make a sound.

After several moments, the pain subsided. His body slumped forward, and he fought for the ability to breathe once again. "Interesting..." His captor mused quietly, "You are more resilient than you look." It thrust it's hands forward again, and the pain exploded back into being.

He once again tried to scream, but once again was unable to. As the pain finally ended for the second time, he fixed his tormentor with a withering glare. "I... am going... to... kill... you..." He gasped.

Xiao Liu paused for a moment, stunned by the fury in the young human's eyes, and there was something... else there as well. It almost looked as though there was a crackling of lightning within the human's gaze. "It cannot be..." The General frowned, then, casting his suspicions aside, continued his attempts to extract his prize. All that mattered was retrieving the Mark, not some imagined delusions.

As the pain returned for the third time, something seemed to snap. Rebain's eyes snapped open, his mouth opened, and a snarling roar of pain and fury erupted forth. The Markings on his body suddenly began to glow, and then the world seemed to explode.

As Xiao Liu opened his eyes, he found himself slumped against the far wall, a wall that had been cracked from the force of his impact. And there, in the middle of the room, stood the human. his arms hung loosely before him, clearly weighed down by the shackles, his head was bowed, and his shoulders and chest heaved for breath.

The human's eyes slowly rose to meet his, and the mogu general's blood froze.

"My turn." Rebain snarled. He suddenly lurched forward, seeming to blur as he moved. Within what felt like only a few heartbeats, he had closed the distance with his foe, and unleashed a flurry of rage fuelled blows. The strikes moved so fast, that the experienced and proud General couldn't even follow them, let alone hope to counter any.

Rebain then grabbed his enemy by the head and swiftly drove his knee up into it's face. The snapping sound that greeted the strike, along with the explosion of dark blood, instantly told him that the strike had been effective.

Xiao Liu couldn't believe the strength of this human. The first punch had been enough to wind him, and the dozen or so that had quickly followed were no less strong. It should have been impossible. This young man was just a worker, nothing more than a peon. He should not have been capable of overpowering a Mogu General so easily. Especially not one as accomplished as Xiao Liu the Visionary! Rage flooded through the proud being. He would NOT be made a fool of by a human!

As Rebain drew his knee back for another strike, the Mogu's fist flashed up, catching him on the chin with a powerful blow and stunning him momentarily. It was enough of an opening for the General, who quickly brought his large foot up and forward in a brutal kick to the human's chest, sending him flying backwards.

The two enemies slowly regained their feet. Blood seeped forth from Xiao Liu's nose and mouth, and several bruises were already forming where he had been struck. Rebain's injuries were less visible, but no less taxing. Both opponents struggled for breath as they eye's each other.

At that moment, the door slammed open, and a half dozen Mogu warriors flooded into the room, swords drawn. They quickly surrounded the human, and began advancing. As they closed in, Rebain's mind raced, faster than it ever had, trying to find an advantage. The Mogu all simultaneously raised their swords to strike, and in that moment, an image flashed through his mind.

Deciding to trust his instincts rather than his conscious mind, he roared out in challenge, and punched downwards, striking the stones. No one was ready for what happened next.

An enormous burst of electricity exploded outwards from him in a sphere, blasting his attackers backwards. As they each collided with the walls of the room, Xiao Liu blinked in amazement. "Impossible..." He whispered to himself, his mind racing. Had this been what the runes had been telling him? It should not have been possible, but then again, the Mark was not supposed to exist in the first place.

As the General's mind reeled, his warriors were closing in on their enemy. All-be-it, much more carefully. Rebain stood his ground, breathing hard. He was exhausted, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going down without a fight.

The warriors were almost within striking distance, when a single word rung out commandingly. "Stop!" The mogu all froze, swords risen, and glanced back. The General stepped forward, causing them to break rank to allow him through to stand before the human. Rebain eyed the approaching mogu warily.

Xiao Liu considered the human for a moment before speaking. "It... would seem that I misunderstood what the runes spoke..." He said at length. "You are more than just the Bearer of the Mark."

"What the hell does that even mean?" Rebain snapped.

"It means that I misjudged you, human. And I underestimated just how much the fates enjoy toying with my kind."

"Do you always speak in stupid riddles? Or are you trying to piss me off even more?"

"I will only say this for now." The general saluted him, drawing surprised and even outraged murmurs from his followers. "I am General Xiao Liu, known to my followers as Xiao the Visionary. And I offer you a challenge. Succeed and you shall be free. Free to chart your own destiny."

Rebain's eyes narrowed. "And if I fail?"

"Then you shall die."

The two continued to stare each other down for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the human glanced to the line of warriors and chuckled darkly. "Doesn't seem like I have much choice does it?" He asked quietly. "Fine. Bring it on. But I plan to kick your ass into the dirt once all this is said and done."

The general smiled thinly, regardless of what he thought of the species as a whole, he had to admit that he liked this human. "Not here." He quickly turned to his stunned subordinates. "Prepare to move!" He ordered, "We have a great deal of distance to cover, and very little time to cover it in before the detestable Shado Pan take notice."

Rebain and the warriors all blinked in surprise, it was the human who spoke first however, "Where the hell are you planning on dragging me now?"

"All shall be revealed at the Throne." Xiao Liu replied mysteriously. "All of it."

* * *

"We're still trying to piece together what happened, Lord Zhu. But from what we've learned, they attacked, forced their way into the fortress, and then... just seemed to leave." Captain Swanson reported nervously to the lord of the Shado Pan. "It wasn't until the next day that we realized that they had taken a prisoner."

Taran Zhu stroked his chin in thought, this was all too strange, too out of character for the mogu. "Only a single prisoner?" He asked, forming his thoughts carefully, while gazing around the fortress. It had been a week since the mogu attack on Lion's Landing, and the Shado Pan had been called in to investigate the oddities of the incident.

"Yessir. And that's where it get's really weird sir."

"'Weird'? How?"

"The guy was already a prisoner." That caught the Pandaren's attention, "He was a worker here that was being held for nearly killing his Foreman, he beat him to within an inch of his life. He was locked up in the barracks cells, one of the mogu literally ripped the wall out to get to him."

"And they left after they took him?"

"Couldn't say sir. But if I had to guess, yes, they only pressed the attack for a few minutes. It would have been enough time to get in, get him, and then get out."

Taran Zhu couldn't bring himself to believe it. An attack with seemingly the sole purpose to capture a single human? It was unheard of. When mogu took prisoners, it was always in bulk for slave labour. Even the attack itself was out of character. He had been fighting the mogu for a very long time, and in all those years, the only time the mogu attacked a heavily fortified location like the Alliance fortress was when they were operating at full strength, and led by a king. Their numbers were too thin, and their clans were far too spread out for them to risk extermination in an attack that could fail.

Turning to the human captain, the old Pandaren asked, "Were any of the mogu slain during the battle?"

"Yessir." Swanson nodded, gesturing for the Shado Pan to follow him. "We took down a couple, but this group, whoever they were fought with a ferocity that I haven't seen since that trouble on the Thundering Isle last year." As he spoke, the two approached where the mogu corpses lay.

The lord of the Shado Pan blinked in surprise, before sighing in frustration. "So Liu... you aren't dead yet..." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry sir?"

"General Xiao Liu the Visionary. This is his sigil." He indicated the marking emblazoned on the armour of the closest mogu, "He and I have fought a few times, and he was one of the few Generals of Lei Shen who escaped the fall of the Throne of Thunder. He's resourceful, dangerous, and completely insane. He believes that he will lead the mogu into a 'cultural revival' by following instructions from a set of runestones given to him by Lie Shen." He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I did not need this headache today." He lamented to himself quietly.

"What the hell could he want with a man like Rebain?" Swanson scratched his head in confusion.

"I'm not sure captain. He is insane however, so I cannot say that it will be anything good."

* * *

The mogu and their prisoner quickly covered a great deal of ground, exiting the Krasarang Wilds within a few days. Rebain had to admit to himself, their relentless stamina was incredible. The amount of land that they could cover in a single day would have put several cavalry companies to shame. It never occurred to him that a human shouldn't have been able to keep up with them.

It did occur to Xiao Liu though. Over the course of the three weeks that they travelled, never once did the human complain about the pace, nor did he fall behind. Several of the warriors were also impressed, even if they refused to admit it.

They travelled north from the wilds, cutting through the Valley of the Four Winds, then, using secret paths known only to the mogu, they crossed the Serpent's Spine into the Townlong Steppes. From there, they obtained a ship to cross the ocean and continued north.

Then, after three weeks, their trek came to an end. Rebain stood on the deck of the small ship, gazing out at the massive wall of mists as Xiao Liu spoke an incantation, causing the curtain of fog to retreat. As the mists pulled back, a large island was revealed. From where he stood, Rebain could make out a primordial looking jungle covering the expanse of the land mass, and a massive structure rose up from the trees.

"So that's it?" He couldn't deny that the large building made him slightly nervous.

"Yes. It is there that you will be tested." The General said as the ship began to move once again. "And it is there that I will discover the truth behind my vision."

Rebain glanced over at the mogu curiously, he had travelled with the General for weeks, and yet he knew nothing about him. "You said that 'the runes' told you about me. What did you mean?"

Xiao Liu eyed the human suspiciously, "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity mostly. I've heard a little bit about your kind from adventurers that passed through Lion's Landing, but nothing that I've heard has matched up to what I've seen these last few weeks. I was told that your kind were cruel slavers and torturers, with barely enough honor between three of you to fight a fair battle." He looked back forward quickly, hoping that he hadn't angered the mogu into silence.

The general simply huffed a sigh and turned back to face the isle as well. After several minutes he spoke. "I am a very old mogu." He said, surprising the human, "I served Lei Shen when he first united the warring clans and created the first Dynasty. Through his great power, he revived me into this age when he was first awakened, so this world is very different than what I remember. I remember the darkness of the Age of the Hundred Kings, our people fought each other for dominance while the world turned around us. Trappings like honor were...discarded during those times, as the need to survive, to destroy our enemies took priority over all else. However, I believe that those ways cannot save my people any more. The fall of Lei Shen at the hands of... beings like yourself... creatures we believed to be inferior to us, has proven to me that the mogu must change. We must adapt to this new world if we are to survive."

Rebain considered the old general for a few moments, before chuckling. "I notice that you didn't actually answer my question."

"No, I did not. Nor will I for now." As the general spoke, the ship bumped against the stone-work of the massive docks. "It doesn't matter anyways. We have arrived, come." He led the way down onto the docks and up the massive stone steps to the palace.

It was massive. The walls of the structure rose almost a hundred feet up, and seemed to connect the entire structure in one enormously large chain. As they continued up the giant stairs, they came to a courtyard, in the centre of the yard were the bones of a giant creature, Rebain could feel energy and power radiating from it. "What is that?" He asked as they passed, several of the warriors pausing to pay respect.

"The remains of Nalak. Lei Shen's personal Storm Serpent." Xiao Liu said as he continued up another flight of steps towards a massive gate.

Rebain paused, looking back at the bones. It was enormous, he had heard the stories of Nalak, everyone had. But none of the tales the Adventurer's had told came close to capturing the size of the beast. Even in death, it's remains bore a majesty, a regal and impressive power, he could only imagine what the creature had been like while it was alive.

The mogu continued on, travelling on through the massive palace that had been Lei Shen's seat of power for what felt like ages. The structure was immense, there was no other way for the young human to describe it. Finally, they came to a chamber that chilled the very blood in his veins. On a raised platform in the centre of the chamber, was the remains of the Thunder King, the first Mogu Emperor.

"We have arrived human." Xiao Liu said, climbing to the platform and kneeling before the corpse. "Forgive me, my Emperor... I was weak, and unable to defend you." He said quietly, before rising and moving to the centre of the platform, where a pair of large pylons stood. "Come here young one."

As Rebain approached, he noticed that none of the warriors had climbed the platform. "What's up with them? Cold feet?"

"No, they know that they are not worthy to stand in the presence of the Emperor. Even his corpse. But forget about them for now. Are you prepared for your trial?"

Rebain smiled thinly, "After dragging me across an entire continent, this had better be good." He said, his fists clenching.

"It is a simple enough test. You need only take hold of these two pylons, and survive." The general gestured to the pylons protruding up from the platform.

Rebain stared at first the mogu, then the pylons, and then back to the mogu. Then he started to laugh. He laughed for what felt like an eternity, until he could barely breathe. Finally, he managed to speak again, "Ok... y-you're going to need to give me a minute here... I-I just..." Another bout of laugher overtook him, taking another minute to die down. "Oh man... for a second I thought you were actually serious."

"I am." Xiao Liu stated calmly.

Rebain froze. "You mean to tell me, that you dragged me across this entire continent... for almost a month... just so that I could grab these-" His hands touched the pylons, and the world seemed to shake. He tried to turn and look, but suddenly found that his hands would not leave their place on the constructs.

The pylons began glowing, ancient runes ignited all across their length, and several small sections along them began to spin. Xiao Liu stepped back, moving swiftly away from the centre of the platform as sparks of electricity danced and cascaded along the pylons and down Rebain's arms. A noise began to rise, a whirring noise, rising in pitch until it became a screeching scream.

And then the lightning struck. It couldn't be called a single bolt of lightning, but was instead a massive pillar of electricity, blasting down from above, whiting out the entire world. As the pillar of light began to dissipate, it exploded outwards, knocking the mogu from the platform.

His warriors were quick to help him to his feet, all wondering what had happened. Still blinking spots from his vision, he ascended the platform once again, his warriors all behind him. Worth be damned, they needed to see what could have knocked their general down. However, none of them expected what they found.

There, standing before the pylons, a very confused look on his face, was Rebain. Completely unharmed. "What the hell was that?" He asked, catching sight of Xiao Liu once again.

The general paused, it was subtle, but the differences were there. This human was not the same as he had been moments before. His voice was different, it seemed to hold more authority, he also seemed to be taller. But the most obvious difference was the Mark of the Emperor. Where once it had appeared only as some form of tattoo, now it burned with life, energy coursing through it in a bright blue. Rebain had also noticed this, and was busy examining it.

"That, was your destiny young mortal." A new voice suddenly rung out through the chamber. The warriors all drew their weapons, unsure of what they were about to face. "I had a feeling that you would survive the power's awakening."

Suddenly, a massive being seemed to appear in a flash of lightning. It looked almost human, except that it seemed to be made of stone, and towered over all present. The warriors made ready to fight, but were shocked into silence when their general fell to his knees in trembling awe. "Ah, it seems that you know who I am." The being stated plainly.

Xiao Liu trembled in fear as he was addressed, the atrocities that his master had preformed on this being were legendary among his people. As was it's name. "Ra-Den." He managed to speak. The warriors all cried out in fear and awe, dropping their weapons and falling to their knees before their ancient god.

Rebain was stunned, in almost a month of travelling with them, he had never once seen the mogu act like this. "Surprised?" Ra-Den asked, turning his back on the mogu, "I suppose it is to be expected. My... involvement in history is not exactly common knowledge any more. Just know that once, the mogu were my children, and I failed them. Now, I have chosen you, mortal, to take up my charge."

Rebain blinked as though he'd been slapped. He had no idea who or what this 'Ra-Den' was, but his senses were all screaming at him that it was powerful beyond reckoning... just like the force that he'd sensed the day he was struck by lightning.

"You begin to understand," The ancient said, smiling in a fatherly way. "I was the one who hurled that lightning bolt at you that day. I suspected you would survive, and you did not disappoint."

"I don't understand..." Rebain finally found his voice, "Why me? Wha-What did you do to me?"

Ra-Den approached, and knelt, setting a giant hand on the young human's shoulder. "My time has passed, as has that of my... successor... the Thunder King." Rebain flinched at how the ancient spoke, it's voice was so filled with pain. "However, the darkness of the Old Gods, and the Mad One still looms over this world. And so, our power is still needed. I have decided to entrust that power to you young human. For I have seen you to possess the strength of spirit that will soon enough be needed."

Rebain could only stare at the ancient Watcher as it spoke, and for a long while after it finished. Finally he found his voice again, "You... gave me... your power?"

"And what remained of Lei Shen's." Ra-Den nodded, "It will change you, physically. But you must not let it destroy you." The Watcher rose and smiled once again, "As the young Dragonqueen says, this is now the Age of Mortals. I believe you were the right choice young human, make me proud." With that, he vanished in another flash of lightning, leaving Rebain to contemplate what had just happened.

It took several minutes for Rebain to snap back to reality, forcing his thoughts back to the present. He found himself facing Xiao Liu and his warriors, all of whom where kneeling before him, heads bowed. "Wh-what are you doing general?"

"I believe that the personal endorsement of our God, a being with every right to hate us, is enough for me." Xiao Liu said, "You have been given command of the Storm and the Sky, you carry the power and Mark of our first Emperor." He lifted his eyes to lock with Rebain's, "Command us, and it shall be done. My master."


	4. Chapter 4

Taran Zhu leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose, growling in frustration. Seven months! Seven months of incomprehensible actions by the Mogu, and absolutely no indication of the reason! Looking back down at his desk, covered completely by reports, he thought back to the start of it all.

It had been that attack on Lion's Landing, _No..._ He corrected himself, It was the lightning strike that started it all. And, little more than a week later, he was snatched by the mogu. It could not be a coincidence. A little more than a month later, each of the major mogu clans just seemed to vanish. He had had Shado Pan agents watching all of them carefully, and they all reported the same thing, at about the same time, every clan just packed up and disappeared.

In the six months that had followed, the mogu had been infuriatingly scarce. One or two had been spotted every now and then, but they always vanished before anyone could get close to them. And to make matters stranger, word was filtering in from all across Pandaria, and from the other continents as well, that Quilen had been appearing everywhere in the past two months, almost as if something were mass producing the stone beasts for some reason.

Sighing with renewed frustration, the lord of the Shado Pan got up and made his way over to the small counter along the wall of his office, taking the large jug of ale and pouring himself a drink. Then, making his way over to the window, he gazed out across the mountainous view, thinking. Whatever it is that the _mogu are planning... It won't work. I'll see to it personally._

Rebain stood, looking down at the thick primordial jungle of the Isle of Thunder. He still, six months later could barely believe what Ra-Den had told him, if it weren't for the abundance of evidence that had continually piled up since the old Watcher had left, he still wouldn't. Well_, worrying about that sort of thing now seems a bit pointless doesn't it?_ He thought with a dry chuckle. _Especially once I found that damn library... who the hell stocked that thing? It's got documents on EVERYONE!_

"Master," Xiao Liu appeared at the door to Rebain's chamber. "They have all gathered." He said with a bow.

"Good." The human said, turning away from the balcony and walking towards the faithful general. "It's about time. And this is going to be a pain in the ass convincing them all."

"I believe you will be successful my lord." Liu said, falling into place behind Rebain as they walked down the hallway, "They may be stubborn, but they will surely see the power of Lei Shen within you as I do." The old general nodded towards a pair of guards at the end of the hall, motioning them to open the door.

"It's not the power Liu, it's what's wielding it that they won't like. Well, too late now. Go in and make the introductions will you?" He smiled thinly, gesturing for the general to move ahead.

Bowing, Liu turned and made his way through the door, and into the large assembly hall. As he entered, several heads turned to mark his appearance. "I thank you brothers for gathering here." He addressed the heads of the ten major clans from a small balcony above them, "As my messengers have told you, a ruler has been chosen."

"Do not waste our time any more than you already have Xiao Liu!" Kuai the Brute, leader of the Clan Gurthan shouted up at him, "Who is it that you have puppeteered into the position this time?"

"Watch your tone Brute!" Said Haiyan, leader of Clan Kargesh, "You speak to one who has lived and fought longer than all of us put together! If he wanted to rule us he would do so openly."

The two old rivals glared daggers at each other, however, before either could reach for their weapons, a new voice sounded from the balcony. "Enough, both of you." It spoke perfect Mogu, and yet, all present could tell that whoever it was, they were not. "Considering how long it took you all to gather here at the call of General Liu, I'm almost disappointed that you all are so quick to fight each other."

Xiao Liu turned and looked towards the new voice, bowing and stepping back. The ten leaders all looked with intrest to see who could elicit such a reaction from the Visionary himself. However, when the figure stepped forward, shouts of outrage flew forth from each of them.

"What is this Xiao Liu! How dare you bow your head to a human?!" Shouted General Temuja of the Shao-Tien council, "Have you finally gone senile?"

"Bah! This is a waste of time!" Snarled Kuai, turning to leave.

"I have not yet spoken." The eyes of every mogu present widened as the human blocked the exit to the room. None of them had seen him move. "Until I am finished, none of you may leave."

Kuai's anger rose again, the nerve of this lesser creature! However, there was something in the human's voice that kept the proud mogu from ending his life right there. Some kind of authority, that resonated through his entire frame, which Kuai noted now that he was standing before him, was substantially larger than any human the warlord had ever seen.

The human stood a solid three meters tall, easily as tall as many of the mogu present. His body was nothing but pure, lean, deadly musscle. He wore a pair of pants, barded with expertly tooled and crafted leather Armour, and a vest-like contraption that had been cut away so that the lightning bolt shaped tattoos along his chest, back, and arms could easily be seen. Holding the vest in place was a wide sash, a length of which fell down his left leg. Upon close inspection, it was clear that the vest was also armored as well, though Kuai laughed silently at the action, the sections that had been cut away made the armoring all but useless. On his hands, the human wore a pair of finely crafted armored gauntlets that extended up to his elbow, but again were opened in the middle to allow the lightning tattoo to be seen clearly.

"Hmph." Snorted Kuai, "I cannot tell if you are brave or stupid to stand before us unarmed and speak so arrogantly, human."

The human simply smiled, before addressing the assembled warlords. "My name is Joseph Gabriel Alexandros Rebain. And I am your new Emperor." This once again elicited several shouts of derision and protest, however when the human spoke again, they all quieted, as though they couldn't bring themselves to speak over him. "I understand the controversy. I was... skeptical at first myself. However, General Xiao Liu, and all the warriors under his command have acknowledged me as their ruler. As has your god, Ra-den." That shut them all up, bringing about a stunned silence. "However," The human continued, "I am familiar with your culture. Since it took you all six months to gather at my call, I took the time to learn all I could about your kind, and your history."

He turned, making his way into the middle of the assembly hall, all eyes of the warlords on him. "You respect strength." He said as he walked, "Each of you rule because you are the strongest, most powerful mogu in your clan. You rule because each time a challenger has risen to take your place, you have beaten him back down." He stopped when he had reached the center of the massive room, the leaders of the ten clans surrounding him in a circle. "I would not expect you all to simply fall to your knees and swear yourselves to me just because of what I have told you here, in fact I would be dissapointed." A predatory grin stretched across his face, "So, I offer you all this chance. Prove that the gifts your god bestowed upon me are false. Prove that the strength I wield is not worthy of lordship. Defeat me in combat, here. Now. Should even one of you best me, it will prove that I am unworthy, and I shall rescind my claim to the Throne of Thunder. However, should I best each of you, you will all swear loyalty to me."

One of the lords, Ming the Cunning of Clan Harthak spoke up, "You truly believe that you can best ten mogu warlords alone? Most of your kind find it difficult to deal with even one of our weakest warriors."

Rebain turned to face the Harthak, "I am not most of my kind." He stated simply, his smile unchanged.

"There is another problem." Said another lord, "Even if you managed to best us all, our followers would lose all respect for us! None of them would obey us anymore. Do you plan to defeat all of our clans to gain their loyalty?"

Rebain turned and faced the lord, "You are Yuan of the Nine Blades, the current Dojani lord yes?" At the mogu's somewhat surprised nod he continued, "To answer your question, I am having several of General Liu's sorcerers project this meeting into the eyes of your followers. They are all watching us right now. All of them."

The warlords exchanged slightly nervous glances with each other. "So, you are saying," Said Temuja, "that if we refuse to fight you, we appear as cowards before our men. And if you defeat us here, they will all see your power, without even meeting you." The Shao-Tien General nodded in respect, "Well played human."

"Bah, enough of this!" Roared Kuai, "All we need to do is kill him right? Then I shall end this charade here and now!" The large warlord pulled his twin punching axes free and lunged at the human with a roar of anger.

Rebain's back was to the Gurthan when he lunged, and the large mogu grinned in triumph, punching with all his might towards the space where the human's armored vest parted to show that rediculous tattoo. However, rather than feel the satisfying crunching of human bones beneath his massive fist, he felt... nothing. Blinking in surprise, he looked down at where the large human had been, but nothing was there. Then the kick connected with the side of his head.

The lord of Clan Gurthan was thrown unceremoniously towards his fellow warlords so hard that a pair of them had to scramble to dodge. He continued on until the wall stopped his motion with a sickening cracking noise. Rebain landed gently, almost as though he had never leaped into the air and done a spinning back-flip over a rampaging mogu. Gesturing up to Xiao Liu, he spoke, "Have someone make sure he's not dead." Liu nodded and gestured, a pair of soldiers rushed forward and began inspecting the fallen lord. "Now," Rebain said, turning back to the other nine. "Who's next?"

The remaining warlords all glanced towards each other. Kuai was perhaps not the smartest of their number, but none of them would ever deny his strength and tenacity, and this human had just laid him out in a single blow. After several moments, Yuan of the Nine Blades stepped forward, all be it with much more caution than his predecessor. "I suppose I shall." He said, nodding with a certain level of respect to the human he now identified as a warrior of strength and skill.

Rebain returned the nod in kind, but waited neutrally for his foe to move first, his hands at his sides, and his breathing completely steady. Yuan advanced cautiously drawing one of his sabers from it's sheath, when he was within striking distance he stopped, eyeing his opponent.

Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, then suddenly, both warriors lunged into action. Yuan loosed a flurry of heavy blows towards his opponent, using both hands to put more strength behind each strike. Rebain meanwhile parried each blow with his gauntlets, moving with a grace and fluidity that the mogu had not credited him with before. After turning several blows aside, Rebain retaliated, knocking the sword wide, he lunged forward, delivering a punch to Yuan's chest with so much force behind it that the mogu slid backwards.

Breathing heavily, Yuan grinned widely. "So, your defeat of Kuai was not just luck or trickery! You are strong." He spoke with a respect that surprised many of the onlookers. Reaching up, he unsheathed a second sword, "I suppose I shall have to fight my hardest to win." He then flashed forward once more, his blades blurring with lethal speed.

Rebain grinned as well before lunging forward as well, matching the mogu's speed and once again turning each strike aside with astounding ease. As the two clashed his grin widened, "Your reputation is nothing to underestimate either Yuan," He said so casually that he didn't sound as though he were in a fight with a seasoned veteran. "However, I would hate for your fellow lords to get bored, so while I am enjoying this immensely..." Suddenly, he seemed to vanish, reappearing behind his opponent and sweeping the mogu's legs out from under him. "I'm afraid I need to end this." He then punched down into Yuan's chest, hitting the mogu general so hard that he cracked the floor before being bounced up off it.

The other mogu all blinked in shock. Twice now this human had bested one of their number, each time, he had done so with seemingly little effort. As a pair of attendants rushed forward respectfully to carry Yuan out of the diminishing circle, Ming the Cunning stepped forward. "It would seem you are indeed a warrior of skill." He conceded, "However, you now face Ming the Cunning, and my magics shall leave you a smoking husk."

Rebain faced the sorcerous mogu, still grinning wolfishly. "Take your shot." He said, hands once more at his side.

Ming snarled silently, conjuring forth an enormous gale of slicing wind and hurling it at his enemy. Rebain made no move to dodge, allowing the massive spell to slam into him unhindered. However, a moment later, it became clear to all that dodging or blocking would have just been a waste of the human's energy, as he stepped forward, completely unharmed. "I-Impossible!" Shouted a stunned Ming, "That spell has cleaved Trillium armour in two!"

"Well I'm afraid that you'll need to do much better than that to beat me Lord Ming. Now it's my turn." Rebain extended two fingers on each hand, slowly raising them up before his chest. As they moved, the dull blue glow of his tattoos began to grow brighter, and electricity began arcing across his chest and down his arms.

Ming's eyes widened in shock, his many years of practice in the mystic arts giving him ample means to realize the sheer power that was suddenly being gathered before him. At this moment, Rebain's fingers had reached his chin. Stepping forward a single step, he then thrust his hands forward, unleashing the lightning at his foe. A single bolt of electricity arced out across the distance, striking into the ground at Ming's feet. The result was catastrophic, a massive blast erupted beneath the mogu, hurling him backwards and scattering the nearby warlords. Ming himself continued flying through the air, until he collided with the wall, after which, he collapsed to the floor in a very undignified heap.

The eyes of the seven remaining mogu lords tracked to Ming's body, a pair of attendants already tending to him and ensuring he was still alive, then to the massive hole that Rebain's attack had ripped in the floor, and then on to Rebain himself, once again standing calmly, his hands at his side, and a small smile on his lips. "How is it that you are so powerful human?" Asked Haiyan, stepping forward.

Rebain continued to smile, "As I said, I was recognized by Ra-Den. He bestowed upon me his power, and what remained of ancient Lei Shen's, granting me mastery of the Storm and Sky." He declared. Throughout the Throne of Thunder, hundreds of mogu watching the events unfold all collectively inhaled in awe. Within the Hall, the warlords who remained standing all glanced at each other.

"I have seen enough." Declared Temuja. Stepping forward, he brought himself to kneel before the human. "I have witnessed your strength, your skill, your speed, and your power. I can say with certainty that none here assembled can best you. I even have my doubts that we could defeat you if we all attacked at once. You have more than proven your worth before the Shao-Tien. I hearby swear my loyalty to you, my Emperor."

One by one, the other lords of the Clans followed suit, until they all knelt before him. Rebain smiled, nodding with respect and acceptance. "Thank you. I am pleased that you all have seen reason. Once your fellows have regained consciousness, I will go to view your clans. After that, we have work to do."

Several weeks had passed since the confrontation between Rebain and the ten lords, and since then, every single mogu had sworn allegiance to him. The Isle of Thunder bustled with activity, the various clans having all claimed some portion of the jungle, while several of the greatest warriors from each were chosen by the Emperor himself to serve as his guards within the massive palace itself.

The Thunder Forges worked day and night, producing weapons and armor that put what most of the mogu were currently using to absolute shame, and in numbers that astounded them all. Though no one was sure just why Rebain had ordered the Forge masters to work so hard, they had no doubt in their minds after the battles between him and the other warlords, that whatever his plans were, they would be glorious.

Rebain himself quickly proved to be an unusual ruler, taking time each day to walk among each clan without guard, and speak with members of each camp. Usually he spoke of inconsequential things, talking just for the sake of conversation it seemed. However, he always took the time to learn the warrior's name when he spoke with them, and never seemed to forget any of them.

His actions surprised the mogu a great deal, for them, their rulers had always been aloof, distant figures of absolute authority. If they had deemed a warrior worthy enough to learn that warrior's name, it meant that the warrior had entered the lord's highest echelon of confidence. But with Rebain, it seemed that he viewed each warrior as a brother, or an equal. It was nearly incomprehensible for the mogu, and yet, he kept doing it, every day.

It soon became a decree that the warriors of all clans would train together. This at first met with resistance, given the natural mistrust held between them all, however, Rebain would not be denied, stating that the only way that any of the mogu would be able to change the decree was to defeat him in combat and take the throne from him. None stepped forward to take the challenge, and so, every day, the warriors of the various clans would meet in one of the massive courtyards within the palace walls and train together. It soon was filled at all hours of the day, those mogu who were not busy with other duties would make their way to the courtyard, take up a weapon, and train, until duty or the need to rest once again called them away.

Here too, Rebain showed an unusual tendency. Each day, after walking through the clans, he would make his way to the courtyard, and there he would spar, and train, and teach any who asked him. He quickly proved to not only be a consummate warrior, but it was quickly reveled that his mind held an almost encyclopedic knowledge of combat techniques, strategies, tactics, tricks, and methods. As well, he proved to be an expert with seemingly any weapon he picked up.

Soon enough, a favorite practice arose among the warriors of pitting ten fighters against their Emperor at once, and placing wagers on how long they would last against him. Every now and then, Rebain would even add to the wager himself, even going so far as to allow his opponents to choose what weapon he would use. After a month and a half, the longest any group had managed to last against him was only a single minute. And only a single warrior had managed to land even a single telling blow on the Emperor. Rebain had promoted the stunned swordsman, a young warrior named Pao-Shei on the spot, and made him one of the Emperor's guards.

Two days later, Rebain sat in the massive library, reading a scroll written so long ago it hurt his mind just thinking about it, his new guard standing nearby. "You know you can sit, right Pao?" He asked with a small chuckle.

The warrior's back stiffened with pride, "All due respect my lord, I am fine."

"Oook..." Rebain chuckled again, looking back to the scroll, "It never ceases to amaze me how disciplined your kind is."

"Many thanks my lord. It is in our blood." Pao's eyes never moved, always gazing forward, hand on the hilt of his massive blade. After several moments, the mogu spoke again, "May I ask a question my lord?"

"Always, I enjoy talking with you, when you do actually decide to talk." Rebain smiled, setting the scroll down on the table, before turning in his seat and looking towards the guard.

"Why have so many Quilin been crafted recently? I saw dozens of them flying away from the isle before the clans even arrived, and they continue to fly forth even now, over a month later. Many of the warriors have been wondering this as well."

Rebain regarded his guard for several seconds, a curious look on his face. After several seconds, he leaned back in his chair, stretching, before at last he spoke. "Do you know why the mogu were first created?"

The question caused Pao to blink in surprise, "No my lord. I do not think there is a mogu alive who knows our original purpose. Many would probably claim that it was to be conquerors... however," He paused in thought for several moments, "I personally doubt it."

Rebain smiled again, "Then you would be wiser than many." He gestured to the massive hall around them, "This library has records dating back thousands of years, some even from before the Age of a Hundred Kings. The oldest I have found, while written in a very ancient version of the mogu dialect, I have my doubts that a mogu wrote them. This one here," He indicated the scroll he had been reading, "States that the mogu were originally created to be protectors. It says that the Watcher that you call Ra-Den crafted the mogu to defend this world from the Demons of the Burning Legion, and the depravity of the Old Gods. However, it seems that when the Old Gods unleashed the Curse of Flesh, the mogu of old grew afraid of their sudden mortality and vulnerability and lashed out." He leaned back in his seat once more, gazing up towards the massively high ceiling. "When Ra-Den appeared before me, he told me that 'his time had passed. But his power was still needed.' While many would say that the powers he gave me were the power he was referring to, I believe that Ra-Den's greatest power, his greatest weapon, was the mogu."

"Us?" Pao asked, blinking in mild surprise, "What makes you say that my lord?"

Rebain stood up, walking down one of the countless rows of shelves, Pao almost mechanically falling into step a short ways behind him. "Even now, so many thousands of years later it makes my head hurt, even after the Curse of Flesh, and the fall of the Mogu Empire, your kind still wields enough power that when Lei Shen was revived, you forced the Alliance and the Horde to join forces just to bring you back down to the status quo. I can think of maybe four or five other occurrences in history that were able to do that. And at least three of those other event had to do with a world ending event, The Lich King, Deathwing, and maybe the trouble up at the Sunwell a few years ago. The point is, that while the mogu are scattered and broken, the core of their power still remains, and that core is a force to be reckoned with. However, what the mogu lack, and have lacked for many centuries, is a real purpose."

He turned on his heel, facing the guard, "In answer to your original question, the Quilin are my early warning system. I have dispatched them to every corner of the world, and enchanted every one of them with a spell that will inform me if they see something that fits a certain set of criteria, and where they saw it. In the meantime, I plan to mold the ten clans into a single, unstoppable force. And then, when the time finally comes, I will unleash the mogu against the enemies of Azeroth." The glimmer in the large human's eyes was almost infectious, "I will return the mogu to their original purpose. That will be my legacy Pao-Shei! That will be how the world remembers Joseph Rebain!"


	5. Chapter 5

He was born of Power. He was the last inheritor of one of the greatest charges ever set forth by the Titans. He was the defender of Azeroth, and it was by his influence that the world would one day be saved. He had personally orchestrated the extinction of the corrupted Black Dragonflight, and ensured that the fall of the Destroyer had gone appropriately. It had been his influence that fully killed the mighty Sha of Fear. His influence had ensured that the Secrets of the Mogu Empire were preserved, and that Lei Shen had died his final death. And his influence had guaranteed the fall of Garrosh Hellscream at Orgrimmar, even if _that_ particular scheme had not quite gone according to script. Yes, it was safe to say that he was among the most powerful individuals in Azeroth.

And now, something had stolen some of that power!

It wasn't much. In the grand scheme of things, it was barely a fraction of his full strength. But it was _his_ damnit! And whatever had happened had hurt like nothing he had ever encountered. As he sat on the patio, overlooking the Stormwind Mages Tower, the Black Prince Wrathion felt his mind slip back to the night in question. It had been a rather ordinary night for the last Black Dragon, staying up late, pouring over an ancient elven text. Finally he had nodded off to sleep, and then... he shuddered again at the memory. It had felt as though something had reached into him and torn out a piece of his very soul.

He had awoken screaming in terror, a fact that he was not proud of. And he had immediately dispatched his Blacktalons to find whatever it was that had had the gall to deal such a blow to the Earth Warder, but in the nearly seven months since then, they had turned up frustratingly little. The world was, to put it bluntly, quiet. Yes, he knew that the Iron Horde would soon be coming, he had been preparing for that though. There was nothing else though.

And so, once again, he closed his eyes in meditation, hoping to glean just what had been taken from him. Tuning out the sounds of the bustling city, the heartbeats of his guards on the other side of the door to his sanctum, and finally even his own thoughts, he cast his gaze inward. Slowly, carefully, he compiled all of his accumulated knowledge, skills, powers, and abilities, until he saw the completed whole, and then he slowly began examining it. As he poured over the wealth of information within his own soul, something unexpected happened. A powerful surge of energy shattered his concentration, forcing him back to reality.

Throwing himself to his feet, Wrathion rushed to the railing of the balcony, frantically tossing his gaze everywhere at once to find what had dared to disrupt him. Then his eyes locked onto the quilen, and reality itself seemed to freeze. The creature sat on a roof across the courtyard, still as death, almost looking like a true statue, but the Dragon Prince could tell that it's eyes were locked onto him as well. A shiver flew up his spine as an epiphany hit him like a cannonball.

Finally breaking the moment, he called out, "Right! Left!" His personal guards rushed into the room, hands on their weapons, and eyes darting about for trouble.

"Your majesty?" The human woman Right asked, stepping further into the room after she was sure that her lord was safe.

Wrathion didn't even look at them, his eyes still locked on the quilen, "There was a report of an increased quilen population a few months ago yes?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to speak the process out loud. Possibly for his own sake, even he wasn't sure at the moment.

Right nodded, moving over to the desk, and finding the file in question almost instantly. "Right here my prince." She said, holding it up.

"Bring it here!" There was something in his voice that almost caused the guard to pause. An edge that normally wasn't there, but that she had heard before. Stepping towards the prince, Right held out the report for him, almost jumping back when he snatched it from her hand. Wrathion quickly scanned the report, simply to confirm what his vast intellect already knew. "Of course... How could I have been so blind?" Left glanced to her human counterpart, who simply shrugged. "It all makes so much sense now! That's why none of my agents have found anything. Because the culprit was hiding in the one place I wouldn't think to look..."

The prince suddenly whirled about, making his way towards the door. "Get someone to pack all of that up, we are leaving. And dispatch agents ahead of us, I want to receive as many reports as possible before I arrive."

The bodyguards glanced at each other once again, Left then gave voice to the question that burned in both their minds. "Where is that your majesty?

Wrathion stopped, and looked back, past his guards to the quilen once again. "The Isle of Thunder."

Taran Zhu sighed in frustration once again. Looking over the report in his office, a few candles his only light this late, he still couldn't make any sense of anything that had happened recently. Pandaria was truly quiet for the first time in possibly generations. The yaungol had retreated back into the mountains, the mantid had been all but eradicated when the empress had become corrupted by the Sha of Fear, and the subsequent civil war that had waged between her and the Klaxxi. The Vale of Eternal Blossms was healing surprisingly well, considering what that monster Hellscream had done to it.

And, strangest of all was the mogu. No one had heard or seen anything of them in weeks, which was what troubled the Lord of the Shado Pan the most. It wasn't unusual for one or two mogu tribes to disappear for a while, but that only happened when the tribes in question were almost completely depleted in strength. And by all of his most recent reports, none of the tribes had been anywhere near that point.

So what were they planning? What-

"Hmm? That's a surprisingly detailed report..." A voice suddenly spoke from just above his left shoulder. Reacting instantly, with instincts honed in dozens of battles, Taran Zhu turned, throwing his elbow up and around in a strike that could shatter stone. "Whoa!" The voice laughed as it's owner rolled backwards, dodging the blow. "That's no way to treat a guest."

The figure came to a stop and sat silhouetted in the window. The sight caused Zhu to pause for a moment. Whoever it was, this intruder was big, easily two and a half meters or more. That, coupled with the fact that they had snuck up on him without his extremely well trained senses detecting them, told him that they were extremely dangerous. And yet, they had announced their presence rather than attack him. "Who are you?" He demanded, dropping into a fighting stance.

The figure grinned, it's white teeth glinting from the shadows. "Well now," It chuckled, "You really are as much of a hard ass as I had heard. That's a shame." It then shrugged, and rose to stand towering over the Shado Pan lord. "My name is Joseph Rebain." Zhu blinked in shock, "I hear you've been looking for me Lord Zhu."

Taran Zhu regarded his... guest with a mix of shock, suspicion, and more than anything else, curiosity. He had been given a description of Rebain when he had first learned of the Mogu attack on Lion's Landing, and while the man lounging against the window-sill certainly _looked_ right, the Pandaren was certain that he would have been informed that the missing man had been a giant.

Rebain simply sat quietly, smiling, waiting for the Shado Pan monk to speak. Finally Zhu obliged him, "You are Rebain? I had heard you were captured by Mogu months ago, how is it you are alive?"

The enormous human's smile widened and a chuckle escaped him, "No offense intended Lord Zhu, but I seriously doubt you would belive me if I told you the whole story. Let us simply say for now, that I am a large part of why you and your Shado Pan haven't needed to really worry about the mogu much in the last couple months."

Taran Zhu's eyes narrowed, "And why is that?"

"Because," Rebain replyed, his smile neutral, "The mogu belong to me now."

If the pandaren had been expecting anything, it certainly hadn't been that. Once again he regarded the man before him. "I am trying to decide whether you are insane, or simply delusional. The mogu would never follow a human."

Again Rebain smiled, "Then explain how I escaped from Xiao Liu? I know that you are familiar with the name." That caused Zhu to pause, "Regardless of what you believe Lord Zhu, I am visiting you this night as a courtesy. The mogu are about to become a reborn presence in this world, however, they will be answering to me. And I am planning to lead them back to the true greatness that they once held."

Zhu's eyes widened in horror, "You would dare to threaten me with a resurgent Mogu Empire?!" He rushed forward, focusing his chi into his fist to strike with lethal force. "I would die before I let that happen!"

The lord of the Shado Pan struck with enough force to puncture steel. So his shock when the human before him simply caught his strike, a bored look on his face, was understandable. For a few heartbeats, the two simply stared at where their two hands had collided, then Rebain turned his gaze on the pandaren.

Taran Zhu, lord of the Shado Pan, veteran of hundreds of battles, felt a pressure upon him that nearly made it impossible to breathe. _Just his gaze?_ He thought, _What is this man? I have never faced an adversary like this..._

"Make no mistake Lord Zhu, you cannot stop what I have set in motion. Fortunately for you, it will not effect your Pandaren way of life very much." Rebain paused, thinking for a moment, "Although, I suppose at some point I may seek to open discussions with the Pandaren over reclaiming a bit of land for my mogu. But that will not be for a while yet." The pressure suddenly vanished, "Now then, if you will excuse me Lord Zhu, I have other places I must visit. However, if you find yourself in need of allies, with nowhere to turn, break this." He revealed a small amulet, setting it down on a nearby table.

With that, the massive human pushed slightly against Taran Zhu's fist, causing the pandaren to stumble backwards a few steps. By the time he had recovered, Joseph Rebain was gone. Blinking in confusion once more, Zhu picked up the amulet from where the other had left it, "Just what in the Celestial's names was that?" He asked himself quietly, turning his gaze back to the window, the moons gently glowed down, frustratingly silent.

Thunder rumbled across the clear night sky. Curiously, Xuen made his way to the entrance of his temple and gazed out, looking to see what could have made the noise. As it turned out, the ancient Celestial of Strength did not need to look for very long, as a bolt of lightning suddenly flung itself out of the cloudless sky and smashed into the ground before the temple.

In the spot where the lightning struck, a large human knelt, slowly rising to stand at a towering three meters tall. Xuen gazed down at the newcomer in curiosity as several pandaren guards rushed forward, preparing to stand against him should he prove hostile. After several moments however, the human locked eyes with the mighty White Tiger and spoke, his voice ringing out across the open space like a bell. "Noble Xuen, Spirit of Strength, Celestial of the North, I apologize for the late hour, but I request an audience."

The White Tiger raised an eyebrow, contemplating the man for a moment, there was something uncomfortably familiar about him... Finally, he raised a paw in a beckoning gesture, before turning inside once again.

Rebain smiled, before bowing to the guards that surrounded him, "Please excuse me, it seems your master has granted me my request." He made to make his way up the steps, only to have it blocked once more by one of the monks.

"Lord Xuen respects strength, and only strength. You will need to prove your strength if you wish to speak with hi-" Rebain didn't even wait for the pandaren to finish. He flashed forward, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he moved, and came to a stop at the top of the stairs. The guards that had surrounded him all fell to the ground, paralyzed, but otherwise uninjured.

As he entered the massive arena of the Temple of the White Tiger, a voice called out to him, clear and mighty. "I am impressed that you could move like that without killing my acolytes." Xuen sat on the far side of the arena between the two massive braziers.

"I have no reason to kill them," The human replied, "They were simply doing their duty. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"An interesting answer. Now tell me human, why have you come to my temple bearing that accursed power?" Xuen's voice dropped to a low, but extremely dangerous tone.

"So, you do recognize it?" The tiger simply nodded. "Well, then I am sorry to cause you more stress then intended. However, I can assure you that I am not here to fight you." Rebain chuckled lightly, "Well, unless you really want to fight. But in truth, I have come here seeking your blessing."

Xuen's eyes widened in surprise. "You approach wielding the power of the cruelest of tyrants, and then ask for my blessing? You are a strange one."

Rebain continued smiling as he walked to the center of the arena. "That I am. However, you know better than most that the power one wield's does not determine one's fate. I am mearly the inheritor of Lei Shen's power, and his empire. I however, seek to return the mogu to their true, and noble purpose. And as such, I wish to do so with the blessings of the August Celestials."

For a time, the Celestial simply sat there, gazing at him. Then with a flash, he vanished, reappearing behind the young human and slashing down with a massive claw, aiming for Rebain's back. The blow struck with thunderous force, however it's target had already moved, so it only had the effect of shattering the stone of the arena floor.

Rebain meanwhile, slid to a stop several feet away, his smile even wider. "So, a fight it is then." Conjuring a massive surge of electricity, he then channeled the power into his arms to empower his already devastating blows further. Then he flashed forward, seeming to almost blur as he moved, and delivered a punishing blow to Xuen's side, following up with a kick to the side of the tiger's head, before finally spinning around behind the ancient creature to try and grab it's tail.

Xuen however, recovered from the blows far swifter than his opponent had expected, and leaped into the air. At the apex of the jump, he aimed himself at the large human, aiming to land on him with the entirety of his weight and crush him.

Once again, Rebain threw himself aside. As he recovered this time however, the massive paw of the White Tiger was already swinging in, in an enormously powerful swipe. Rebain was caught by the blow and hurled across the arena, smashing into the far wall with explosive force.

After a few moments, Rebain got to his feet, dusting himself off as he stood. "I must admit, honorable Xuen, I am glad that it came to this. You are the pinnacle of what it means to be a warrior, and any who claim the title would give much for the opportunity to test themselves against you."

Xuen stood, crouched in the center of the arena, waiting for his opponent to make a move. "Oh? You would claim to be a warrior then? I thought you a simple workman."

Again, Rebain smiled. "I suppose I should not be surprised that you know of my past. You and the other Celestials are a part of this land, and so the daily lives of those who call it home would be known to you wouldn't they?" He began to pace around the edge of the arena, his eyes never leaving Xuen's. "Still, people change. When fate calls us, we mortals will answer, whether we wished too or not. And so, fate has called upon me to lead the mogu to a new future. But in order to lead a species that has only respected strength for so many millennia, I must be the strongest among them. I must become a warrior. And so, I am one."

Xuen continued to watch the young man as he circled, "You truly are an interesting one, young human. I sense that you speak from your heart on this matter." At Rebain's nod, the tiger's mouth curled up into what could only be called a smile. "Very well, show me your Strength!" With that, he let loose a roar that could be heard as far away as the Valley of the Four Winds and lunged forward, his enemy doing the same.

As they closed in on one another, the mighty doors of the Temple of the White Tiger slammed shut, leaving Xuen's disciples stunned outside. The Trial had truly begun.


	6. Chapter 6

Massive roars, and the rumbling clash of thunder had been echoing across the Kun'Lai mountains for weeks now. At times, they had grown so loud that they had been heard as far away as the Dread Wastes and the Valley of the Four Winds. Rumors had spread like wildfire as hundreds of travelers had found their way to the Temple of the White Tiger in hopes of discovering the source of the sounds. And by the end of the first week, the word had spread to the far ends of Pandaria; Xuen was fighting someone. Someone extraordinarily powerful.

It had now been almost a full month since the battle had begun, crowds were gathered all across the Temple's grounds, all of them eager to discover the identity of the Spirit of Strength's opponent. The White Tiger's acolyte's had swiftly set about procuring food for their guests, as members of the Horde and the Alliance both, as well as hundreds of Pandaren pilgrims. The Shado Pan had also been called in to ensure that the peace was kept.

Taran Zhu stood on the steps of the temple, his expression hard, and his gaze locked on the mighty temple doors. He had a sinking feeling that he knew who was behind them, and he wasn't looking forward to the potential political outcries that would happen should he be right. A small cough behind him pulled him from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry Lord Zhu, but I am a bit confused." Said Mishka just behind him and to his right, "Why exactly did you ask specifically for me to be here?"

"Because," He replied, his gaze never once leaving the doors of the temple, "You are the only one who can provide me with information about Joseph Rebain. Information that I was not provided six months ago. Like why no one thought to inform me of his giant blooded heritage?"

The Dreanei's frown was clear in her voice, "Giant blood? What are you talking about sir? Joseph Rebain was no more than two meters tall. And what does Rebain have to do with anything? He's been missing for months. Unless..." She gasped as her mind reached the truth, her voice lowered slightly, "He's inside the temple isn't he? He's the one fighting Lord Xuen?"

Taran Zhu nodded. "I strongly suspect so. The timing is too close together for it to not be him."

"Timing?"

"Rebain payed me a 'visit' a month ago. But strangly, he was quite a bit different than your Alliance officials told me. In fact he seemed..." He was interrupted by an approaching Shado Pan.

"Lord Zhu! Forgive me, but we have a situation."

"Speak."

"Mogu!" The old pandaren's eyes widened, "At least a hundred sir, at the base of the mountain. But sir... they... they aren't attacking. In fact, their leader is asking to speak to you."

Zhu rounded on the young monk as if he had just grown a second head, "What did you say? Why the hell would Mogu wish to talk?"

The Shado Pan shook his head, "I have no idea my lord. I only know that the leader identified himself as Xiao Liu, and demanded to speak with you."

Zhu looked as if he'd been punched. "Xiao Liu..." He thought for a few moments, putting pieces together in his mind, turning his gaze back towards the temple. "It's impossible... Isn't it?" Finally making up his mind, he turned back to his subordinate. "Gather the Shado Pan and meet me at the base of the mountain. If Liu has treachery in mind, then we'll be ready for it." He started down the steps.

Mishka fell into step behind him. At his curious glance, she said simply, "You said that Xiao Liu is the one who took Rebain yes? This is my chance to find out what happened to my patient. Besides, if it comes to a fight, you'll need a healer nearby." The old pandaren simply nodded, before turning his gaze forward once more and shouting orders to the gathering Shado Pan.

* * *

"So, the mighty Lord of the Shado Pan has deigned me worthy of his precious time?" General Xiao Liu smirked as the mass of Shado Pan approached, and stepped forward from his gathered followers. "I am unarmed Taran Zhu. I wish only to speak this day."

Zhu stepped forward, his expression one of obvious hatred, "And so you gather a force of such size to do so General? You may have survived our encounter on the Isle of Thunder, but you will not escape me again."

Several of the Mogu behind Liu snarled in fury at the pandaren's comment, however the general held up a hand. "I am here only to talk Zhu. My followers and I come this day on Pilgrimage to witness our Emperor's trial. However, since your Shado Pan will not allow us to set foot upon the grounds of the Spirit's temple, I wish to parlay with you."

"Your Emperor?"

"You know of who I speak Lord Zhu." Liu pointed up the mountain towards the temple, "My master does battle with Xuen even as we speak." That brought many concerned murmurs from the gathered Pandaren. "My followers and I are here at his request. We are to await his emergence from the Temple, and we have been ordered not to attack you Pandaren. Will you allow us entry to the Temple grounds?"

"Never!" Zhu's eyes flashed, "You Mogu destroy all good things that you touch! I will never allow you to bring your hatreds onto such holy grounds!" The other Shado Pan behind him all nodded, each of them raising their fists, ready for a fight to break out. A fight that it seemed the Mogu were all too happy to provide.

All except Xiao Liu it seemed, who turned a withering glare upon his followers. "YOU WILL NOT SHAME THE EMPEROR LIKE THIS!" He roared, his voice ringing with authority. The other Mogu all froze, fear quickly replacing the anger that had been practically radiating from them just a moment before. Turning back to Taran Zhu, Liu spoke once more, "Perhaps a compromise then?"

Zhu contemplated the General in thought, he had not expected Liu to turn down the chance to kill the lord of the Shado Pan. More interestingly, he had not expected the old General to admonish his followers the way he had. Perhaps the old Mogu was actually telling the truth. "What do you have in mind?"

"Allow myself and a small group of others to await our master at the temple. The rest of my followers shall wait here at the base of the mountain. You have my oath that they will abide by the conduct I set for them." Zhu blinked in surprise, Liu was practically offering his own head on a platter. "Once the Emperor has completed his trial, we shall join him, and depart."

Taran Zhu contemplated the offer. It ensured that the General and his closest cronies would gain access to the Temple of the White Tiger, however, they would be unarmed and surrounded by Shado Pan. On the other hand, these were Mogu. Could they truly be trusted to keep their word? As he thought, Mishka stepped forward.

"You are the Mogu who commanded the raid on Lion's Landing last Summer, correct?" She asked, addressing the general. Xiao Liu considerd the woman for a few moments before nodding slowly. "Where is Joseph Rebain?" She asked, "What have you done with him?"

The Mogu general seemed surprised for a moment. Turning his gaze back to Taran Zhu, he asked, "You haven't told them?" At the old Pandaren's silence, he once again turned to consider the draenei woman. "You are the doctor woman yes? He told me that you were of exemplary character and trustworthy... Then I shall make you a deal, vouch for us, convince Lord Zhu to accept my deal, and I shall tell you of Rebain's fate."

Mishka immediately rounded on Taran Zhu, "Well sir? It's a good deal. What could a few unarmed mogu do surrounded by this many Shado Pan?"

Zhu let out a growling sigh. "Ugh... very well." He sounded as though he had just swallowed something foul tasting, "General, you and a small delegation have my permission to enter the grounds of the Temple of the White Tiger. The rest of your followers will remain here at the base of the mountain. And all of you shall relinquish any weapons that you may carry. Once the temple doors open, Lord Xuen will decide what to do with you."

Xiao Liu then did something that surprised everyone present into a stunned silence for several seconds. He bowed low to the pandaren. "You have my thanks, Lord Zhu." Turning back to his followers, he shouted several commands. Within a few moments, eleven other mogu stood beside him, and the rest were moving away from the road and sitting down. "We are prepared."

Taran Zhu paused once again as he registered the mogu who stood beside the General. Each and every one of them was one of the clan chieftains that had separately ruled the mogu, and one other who he didn't recognize. This meant that the entire command echelon of the mogu race was walking unarmed into enemy territory. "You must have great faith in this 'emperor' of yours General." He said.

"My master shall not fail Lord Zhu." Liu said as he and the ten chieftains walked forward, the Shado Pan parting around them and falling into position between the mogu and everything else. As they walked up the mountain, the size of the force surrounding them seemed to grow larger and larger. "I assure you that this many guards is unnecessary."

"You will of course forgive me when I do not believe you." Replied the lord of the Shado Pan.

By the time they reached a small open area not far from the Temple, the procession had garnered quite a bit of attention. And adventurers from both the Alliance and the Horde had joined the Shado Pan in standing guard over the Mogu 'guests'. For their part however, the Mogu simply ignored the hundreds of staring eyes, and all of them sat down in the clearing, their eyes locked upon the temple.

After a while, Mishka approached the General where he sat cross-legged, "You said that you would tell me." She said, her voice quiet.

"I did, didn't I." Xiao Liu turned his gaze from the temple to once more consider the draenei woman. "You said that you wished to know the fate of the man known as Rebain?" At her nod, he smiled, pointing towards the temple. "He currently does battle with a Celestial."

"What?!" Mishka's eyes widened, looking back to the temple with concern. "So it really is him... but wait... you said that your 'Emperor' was fighting Xuen..." Liu simply held her gaze patiently. "But then that means... but why would you...?"

The old General smiled slightly, "Obey a Human? It is not something that I expected to ever do in my lifetime I assure you. But... circumstance and fate are fickle things."

Mishka looked back to the Temple doors with a strange sense of reniewed interest. "Joseph Rebain... an Emperor huh? Incredible."

* * *

Rebain skidded backwards across the floor of the arena, the stone tiles cracking beneath the force that had thrown him. As he finally came to a halt, he flashed forward once more towards his opponent, dodging the enormous claw that swiped at him and letting loose a brutal kick to Xuen's head.

The White Tiger let out a deafening roar before turning with incredible speed and snapping at the human with his massive jaws. However, by that point, Rebain had already dodged backwards in an acrobatic flip, landing several yards away.

"Impressive, human. It seems that you are wise enough to be wary of my fangs." There was a hint of laughter in Xuen's voice as he spoke.

"Well, after that first time nearly took off my head," Rebain chuckled back, breathing heavily, "I figured it would be a bad thing if that bite of yours caught me again." He paused, considering his situation, he himself was absolutely exhausted, he had been fighting for titans knew how long and had been held at bay for the entire length of the fight. His opponent seemed to be tiring as well, but not as quickly, however Xuen's sides heaved like a pair of massive bellows, which Rebain took as a good sign that they were on relatively even footing.

"You have a surprisingly analytical mind Human." Xuen said, a smile curling onto his face. "Even now, you weigh your options, and plan your attack carefully. I applaud it."

Rebain chuckled, "Heh, thanks. But I think it's time to end this." Without giving his opponent a chance to register his words, he flashed forward, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he moved. The bolt crossed the distance to Xuen in less time than it took the tiger to blink, striking him fully in the chest. It then seemed to split into several smaller bolts that each burned a jagged path across the Celestial's form, gathering together once more in the center of his back, from there, the reformed lightning sprung up, and changed back into the large human.

Rebain then drew all of the electricity in his form into his fist and struck. The result would have vaporized a mortal enemy, against the Celestial of the north, it smashed into the center of his back, the force was enough to actually bounce him off the stone floor beneath him, shattering the tiles as he hit. However, Xuen was not one to go down so easily. As he rebounded from the strike, he twisted himself in the air, bringing his massive paw around and smashing it into the side of Rebain's head, knocking him to the floor with nearly as much force as he had struck Xuen with.

The two foes lay there, panting beside each other. Rebain started to laugh, "Dang..." He said, his breath ragged, "Didn't think you'd be able to get around to counter that quickly..."

Xuen chuckled as well, heaving himself up into a sitting position. "I honestly did not expect you to use that ability to attack. Although I should not be surprised... the lightning is your most powerful weapon."

"With respect Lord Xuen, I disagree." Rebain replied, sitting up himself, "My most powerful weapon is not something that I could actually bring to this battle."

"Oh?" The tiger's eyebrow quirked up in curiosity. "Why is that?"

"Because," Rebain stood, dusting himself off, "My most powerful weapon is the Mogu. The guardians of Azeroth are Titan creations in the purest sense of the term, and their strength is still very much their own, even after so many thousands of years. They are my power Xuen. They are Ra-Den and Lei Shen's true legacy. Not the electricity that flows through my veins."

"So you do understand." The sound of a new voice echoed across the arena. The voice itself was small and innocent sounding, but it seemed to resonate with compassion and wisdom. "I had been slightly worried when I felt your power appear on this continent once again. But now I see that worry was perhaps baseless."

Rebain and Xuen's gazes were drawn to the massive closed doors of the Temple, where three figures stood. One was a Tauren, with fur of a dark charcoal color, another was a tall regal looking Elf wearing a cloak of feathers and a mane of fiery red hair, and the final was a young Pandaren girl, who it seemed was the one who had spoken. Rebain's eyes widened at the sight of the three strangers.

"Well, well," He said, "This is a surprise. I did not expect the three of you to come to me, I was planning to have to continue my little pilgrimage to each of your temples. I'm honored that you all have come." He bowed respectfully, and continued, "I humbly beseech you, oh Celestials of Pandaria, grant your blessings to my ideals, that I may return my Mogu to their true purpose of defending Azeroth."

The three glanced at each other, then the Elf spoke, "When you speak of the true purpose of the Mogu, you seem to think that they can be returned to what they once were."

"No. I am not so arrogant as to think that I can somehow undo the Curse of Flesh that made them what they are today. But I truly believe that the fear of death that the Curse gave them makes them all the more formidable. Should we not hope that they can become a force for good once more? Were you not the one Noble Chi Ji, who once said 'where there is life, there is hope.'?"

"But hope alone will not redeem the millenia of sin." Said the black furred Tauren, "Do you posses the immovable fortitude that will be required to keep them from falling back into what is now cultural norm to them?"

Rebain smiled. "I can, by using their own culture as a measure of checks and balances. In Mogu culture, the strongest leads, and the rest follow without question. I have already proven to them that I am the strongest, and I have stated that if any of them do not wish to obey my orders, then they must challenge me and claim the kingship from me. Against an endless legion of Mogu, even you Lord Niuzao, would be hard pressed to hold the line. But against a single challenger at a time, I can conserve my strength and use it wisely."

"You seem to understand how best to control the Mogu," the young Pandaren girl said, "But then how will you control yourself? We have seen you unifying them into a single force. If they are indeed as powerful as you believe them to be, what is to stop you from becoming a conqueror like your predecessor?"

"Honestly... That possibility scares me more than anything." Rebain said, his eyes locking with the final speaker. "I genuinely believe that my childhood, and former ties to the Allience will prevent me from trying to destroy them, but there is very little to stop me from trying to annihilate the Horde. This is why I need your help Lady Yu'lon, Your wisdom could keep me in check. Beyond that, I constantly strive to remember why I was given this power. Ra-Den felt that I was worthy to wield his might, and I will be damned if I am going to let that faith go to waste. I have come too far to turn back, and I am already far too changed to fit into human society as I am now."

"And your opinion Brother?" Asked the Tauren, "Is he worthy of your blessing?"

Rebain turned to face Xuen once again, the White Tiger had taken on the form of a human with pale blue skin and white and black stripes through his hair. He stood, considering Rebain with ageless eyes, his finger lightly tapping his chin in thought. "You fight with much ferocity," He said at length, "And you kept your mind clear of distractions throughout the battle. On top of which, you battled for a full month with neither a complaint nor a thought to giving up. I believe you have more than earned my blessing."

"As do you bear mine." Agreed Niuzao, "Your battle with Xuen was magnificent, and you understand that even your strength has limits."

"Your hope for the future of the Mogu is truly a heartening thing human." Said Chi Ji with a warm parental smile. "I am pleased that Ra-Den chose his heir so well."

Yulon smiled widely, the cheeks of her pandaren form fluffing up as if she were a child that had just received her favorite gift. "Then it seems we are all in agreement." She said jubilantly, "Joseph Gabriel Rebain, Emperor of the Mogu and heir of the Thunder King, We, the August Celestials do grant you our blessings in your quest to return the Mogu to their true purpose in this world."

* * *

Mishka stood near Taran Zhu and the Mogu 'emissaries', her attention constantly shifting between the temple doors, the still angry looking Lord of the Shado Pan, and the Mogu General Xiao Liu.

She was fascinated by the Mogu, they were deep within the territory of their ancestral enemies, yet they had come of their own will, and they showed absolutely no fear, even with all of the hostile glares that they received from absolutely everybody within sight of them. And their General was the most stoic of all of them. He simply knelt there, his eyes locked on the temple, an almost serene look on his otherwise monstrous face.

Taran Zhu on the other hand, looked as though he had been forced to eat a live Ravager. His gaze was locked on the temple doors as well, but it was clear from the snarl etched on his face, and the fact that his hands were clenched into tightly balled fists, that he was not happy with the situation. Mishka also suspected that it was taking every ounce of the pandaren's considerable discipline not to try and kill his Mogu 'guests' where they stood.

Mishka was about to say something, hoping to possibly put the Shado Pan at ease, when there was a massive rumbling sound. Snapping her head around, she saw the massive doors of the temple start to open. Standing in the entryway, was a sight that no one present had expected. The four August Celestials stood in their various mortal forms, gathered around a man. Albeit a man who easily stood three meters tall, and was dressed in what looked like an armored vest, and a baggy pair of slack pants. What shocked Mishka most was that she knew that man.

"Rebain?" Her voice was barely a whisper, yet his gaze instantly shifted to her as though he had heard her. A clatter of movement pulled her gaze away from him to the Mogu, all of whom now stood, heads bowed in a form of salute.

"Well, I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised by the crowds..." Rebain said suddenly standing right next to her. Mishka let out a small startled yelp, and practically leaped away from him. "Doctor, it is good to see you again."

"Rebain..." To her credit, Mishka managed to recover her composure rather quickly. "You look... different."

The large human simply smiled, before turning to lock eyes with Taran Zhu, who had stormed up, his expression one of barely controlled fury. "You have a great deal of nerve human." He said, "Not only do you dare attack one of the Blessed Celestials in his home, but you bring Mogu in your wake?!"

Before Rebain could reply, a deep, powerful voice echoed across the courtyard. "Calm yourself Taran Zhu." Zhu's gaze immediately snapped to the four still standing in the temple doorway, Xuen spoke again, this time addressing all present, "This human, Rebain, came to me a month ago seeking my blessing for an ambitious undertaking. He exits my temple this day with not only my own blessing, but those of my fellow Celestials." The hundreds of gathered onlookers all began murmuring amongst themselves, clearly curious what this 'undertaking' could be.

Rebain grinned, and made a gesture with his right hand. At that, the eleven Mogu all simultaneously nodded once, turned, and began to make their way back down the mountain without even a single word. This caused even more confused murmurs. "I admit, I'm a little nervous." Rebain said with a chuckle, his voice echoing like thunder across the temple grounds. "I hadn't honestly expected such a large crowd, so I don't really have any kind of speech prepared. So instead, I'll simply introduce myself."

He turned and made his way back up the steps to the temple door, ensuring that he was visible to all present. He then turned, faced the gathered crowds, and bowed slightly, "How do you all do?" He said, his powerful voice reaching everyone gathered, "My name is Joseph Alexandros Gabriel Rebain. And I am the Thunder King, the Emperor of the Mogu, and Lord of the Thundering Isle."

Then, with a flash of lightning, and the roar of a massive thunderclap, he vanished. And the crowd exploded into chatter.

* * *

**_Finally _got the next chapter done. I am really sorry about the stupidly long times between updates guys, but I promise, more is on the way! Eventually. Until then, please, please, _please,_ read, enjoy, and critique. I am always looking for advice on how to get better. **

**Let me know what you guys think of this latest chapter.**


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